Sparking device for internal-combustion engines.



O. O. WILLIAMS. SPARKING DBVIOE FOR INTERNAL GOMBUSTION ENGINBS.APPLICATION I'ILED DEG.1l, 1909.

1,029,903. Patented June 18,1912.

UNITED sTATEs PATENT orrion CHARL C. WILLIAMS, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO,-ASSIGNOR T0 THE G; H. WILLIAMS COMPANY, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO, ACORPORATION OF OHIO.

SPARKING DEVICE FOR INTERN AL-COMBUSTION ENGINES.

To all whom may concem:

Be it known thatI, CHARL C. WILLIAMs, a citizen of the United States,resident of Cleveland, county of Cuyahoga, and State of Ohio, haveinvented a new and useful Improvement in Sparking Devices forInternal-Combustion Engines, of which the following is a specification,the principle of the invention being herein explained and the best modein which I have contemplated applying that principle, so as todistinguish it from other inventions.

My invention relates to sparking devices for internal combustionengines,.its object being to provide a device of this Character in whichthe length of time in which the prima-ry Circuit is closed, may beindependent of the speed of revolution of the engine, in an efficientand economical manner.

A further object is to so arrange'the parts that theymay be readilyaccessible, so that they may be co-nveniently removed, repaired, or newparts substituted.

The said invention consists of means which hereinafter are fullydescribed and more particularly set forth in the claims.

The annexed drawing and'the 'following description set forth in detailcertain mechanism embodying my invention, the disclosed means, howe-ver,constituting but oneI of various mechanical forms in which' theprinciple of .the invention may be applied.

In said annexed drawingz-Figure lis an end elevaton of a deviceembodying my invention. Fig. 2 is an ax'ial cross'section thereof. 'Fig.3 is a cross section taken upon the plane indicated by line III -III inFig.

2, and viewed in the direction indicated by the arrow in said figure.Fig. t is an ele- Yation of the end of the device, opposite thatillustrated in Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is a detail cross-section.v F ig. 6 is asection similar to that. shown in Fig. 3, illustrating a modified formof my invention. i

`As iscustomary, the timer or cam shaft VA projects into the housing ofthe sparking device embodying my invention. This housing comprises threemain `parts, 1a part B, which carries the terminals z and t, mounted insuitable' insulating thimbles t2, of the secondary circuits, and which'is of the ordinary well-known construction,

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed December 11, 1909.

Patented June 18, 1912.. Serial No. 532,527.

further" amplification of the description thereof beingthereforeunnecessary in this application. A second member C of thehousing is provided with a ball bearing c, and in this bearing ismounted the journal a of the timer or cam shaft, suitable balls beinginterposed between the journal and 'bearing, as is shown. Upon thishousing member C is mounted a third and inclosing housing member D,which is removably secured to the member C by means of suitable screws(Z. An opening (Z' is provided in the member D,

,through which the shaft A projects. The

gine. As shown in Fig.V 6, the shaft is provided with a recess (L2, inwhich is located a coil-springta',3 bearing upwardly against acylindrical pawl at. The outer end of this pawl bears against theinterior surface of the toothed member E, in which surfaceis formed agroove e' beginning in the cylindrical interior bearing surface ofmember E, and ending in a shoulder 62., As shown, the shoulder is formedat that end of the groove farthest removed fro-m its point ofintersection with the cylindrical bearing surface above referred to, inthe direction of forward rotation of the engine, such forward directionbeing indicated by the arrows in the figure. It will therefore be seenthat '/when the engine, and consequently the shaft, is rotated in theforward direction, the member E and the shaft are fixed to each `other,

and when the engine and shaft are rotated in the opposite direction, themember E may be held in a stationary position without interfering withthe continued onposite rotation of such shaft, the pawl a* disengagingsuch member E, as will be readily understood.

Each tooth is 'formed with a radial surformed therein, Fig. 5, is amember H formed r 111g o nected in the usual manner,to oneof theterminale K of the primary .circu1t, the otherv face' e3 and 'with atangential surface 6*, which is continued 'across 'the member E until itjoins'the inner. end of the adjacent` radial surface 63,.. As shown, theradial sur- 5 faces 63 are'I located in advance of the tangentialsurfaces 84, with reference to the for- Secured upon -the interior ofthe housing member 'D'andl adjacent -to an opening d* with a split nuth, whose thread is engaged oby'a thumb screw J having its head upon theexterior and its'inner end projectmg 2-5' toward and -in the path ofoscilla-tion of the oscillatory member F.. This screw forms a' secondcontact member, and ,its supporting member His suitably insulatedfromthecasas shown. The said member H 1s conterminal of such circuit beinggrounded through the engine, as Will be understood. VAs will be noted,the inner or contact end of the screw J may be'adjusted toward or fromthe oscillatory member F byjturning the screw. The latter is .fixed m\any desired position by means of av suitable' screw .f passing throughthe split'porti'on of the nut, 4G as'will be understood. 1

i the form of the I Fig. 3, the memberF is provided wlth a `-yieldingportion f whichcarries Lthe contact pointl f' which makesthe directcontact'between the member F and the inner enjd of '50 an interiorspace,

`- the osci ,the screWJ The lfree, end of the member fis ,provided witha book-portion, z, against whose inner surface the outer or free endj'of 'the spring normally rests. `This leavesv into which during`contact will be pressed, away from the the 'sprin I inner sur acerpfthe hook portion 2 and] 1n y the reverse'direction offmovem'entrthereof.When the above described'structure is in f its normal ori'estingposition, in which the rotaryzmember E is out of engagement withoccupie's a normal .or neutralvposition in which the axis of memberF`,`;point o f -at 6,07 tachment 'of 'spring Gr with the latter, and

point of attachment of thezsprin'g with the casing D,

fore be noted thatthe member F is .capable of movement in bothdirections vlaterally of said neutral position. 1;[n this position thedevice illustratedl in llatory contact member F; the latten` areinfalin'ement; VIt will therer 'contact'screw J is out of engagementwith the oscillatory member F.

When the engine is rotated in a forward` direction, the teeth esuccessively engage the oscillator;7 member F, and movesame away froinvthe inner end of the screwcJ, against the action of the spring G.

'fter the eng'aging tooth has passed a give'ndistance, y-

member F is released and snaps toward the screwls end, as the result of`the action of the spring, and a dist-ance'suflicient toucause thecontact portion f' to engage the contact portion of the screw.Immediately after such contact, the spring' again positively returns themember F to its normal position, which .position it occupies untilthenext tooth repeats the same o eration. It will be seen that ythelength of`1p time during vwhich contact is maintained-.between 'thescrew end and the contactvportion f' depends upon the dist-ance'betweensaid contact portion when l`the member is in its normal position, and

such screw' end. That is, the nearer the screw end is to such portionf'. when said member is in said normal pdsition, the longer will suchcontact, an the farther away that said two parts are, the shorter .willbe-'such contact. The strength of the spring G is made such that themember F will 'always recover its normalrposition before the' nextsucceedingl tooth .comes into action, so that it will beseen that thelength of time of the successive contactperiods will always beindependent oflthe Velocity, of revolution of the teeth '8, and hencein-' dependent of -the Velocity of the timer or cam shaft. Thetotal'lengt-h of time, therefore, in which the primary` circuit iscomplete a's directly proportionate to the numberof revolutions for anygiven adjustment/ of thescrew J.'

By mounting the two contact members F and J on the detachable housinmember D and securing them by means o the removable screws d', it willbe seen tthat these parts of the mechanism lmay be'readily detachedforinspection and removed for repairs. These parts, when 'embodied in anautomobile, mayalso be removed and car.- ried away for the purpose'ofpreventing janautomobi'le from being-stolen dr used byV unauthorizedpersons.

Instead of providing'the oscillatory memi ber F with the'yieldingport-ion or spring f,

the\ said member F may-,be hmadej'rigid throughout, andthe yieldi'ngAportionA of .the mechanism be 'made a part of 'the adjustable contactmembe`r J Such a modification is shown 1n.Fig. 6, in whichthe inner end-of the screw is shown` to be provided with a .centralbore into whichprojects a pin facarr'ying upon its outer lend 'a head fi, which latterforms the direct' contact portion .ofv

the member. A suitable coil spring f5 is'interposed betweenv theqheadftandthe main body of the screw, as Will; be readily under- Stood.

Having fully described my invention, What I claim therefore, and desireto secure by'Letters Patent is `'1. In a sparking device for internalcombustion engines, the combination of an oscillatory contact memberarranged to have a neutral position and movable in both directionslaterally from said position; a second contact member =\normally out ofcontact With said oscillatory member; and a member adapted tointermittently engage and disengage said oscillatory member, Wherebysaid two contact members are caused to engage each other, the engagementof said engaging member With said oscillatory member'being such as toeffect the movement of the latter away from said second contact member;said oscillatory member being free from electrical connection duringsuch lastdescribed movement. i

2. In a sparking device for internal combustion engines, the combinationof an oscillatory contact member arranged to normally occupy a neutralposition; movable in bothv directions laterally from said position, and

provided with al yielding portion; a second and stationary contactmember normally out of contact With said oscillatory member, and lyingin the path of oscillation of said yielding portion of the oscillatorymember; and a member adapted to intermittently engage and disengage saidoscillatory member to effect its oscillation in both directionslaterally of said neutral position, Whereby said yielding portioniscaused to intermittently engage said stationary contact member; saidoscillatory member being free from electrical connection during itsoscillatory movement away from said latter member: said engaging meansbeing adapted to effect the positive movement of said oscillatorycontact member away from said stationary contact member, the latterbeing always out of engagementwith said oscillatory contact memberduring such' movement.

3 In a sparking device for internal combustion engines, the combinationof an oscillatory contact member, spring means tending to Iimpart tosaid member a neutral position, and arranged to permit it to move inboth directions laterally of said neutral position and against theaction of said spring means; a member adapted to intermittently engageand disengage said oscillatory member; and a stationary contact memberlying inl the path of said oscillatory member, normally out ofengagement there- With, the movement imparted to the oscillatory memberby'the engagement of the engaging member being in a direction away fromsaid stationary member; said oscillatory member being free fromelectrical connection during its movement away from said stationarymember.

4. In a sparking device for internal combustion engincs, the combinationof an oscillatory contact member; means tending to impart to said member\a neutral position while allowing it'to move in both directions`laterall`y of said position and in opposition to said means; a memberadapted to intermittently engage and disengage said oscillatory member,Whereby such movement in both directions is effected; and a secondcontact member lying in the path of oscillation of said oscillatorycontact member; one of said contact members being provided With ay'ielding member comprising the contact portion thereof; saidoscillatory member being free from electrical connection during itsmovement aivay from such .second contactmember; said 'engaging meansbeingadapted to effect the positive, movement of said oscillatorycontact member away from saidA stationary contact `member, the latterbeing always out of engagement with :said oscillatory contact memberduring such movement.

5. In a sparkingdevice for internal combustion engines, the combinationof a suitableV housing member; an oscillatory contact member mounted onsaid member; a

coil-spring having one of its ends secured to said housing member anditsother end secured to said oscillatory member; a second contact member;said spring adapted to impart to said oscillatory member a normalposition in which it is out of contact With said second contact member,and whereby it may be moved toward and from the latter in opposition tosuch spring; and a member adapted to intermittently engage saidoscillatory member to move same away from said second-named contactmember, ivhereby such oscillatory member is intermittently released andimpelled toward said secondnamed contact member by the action of saidspring.

6. In a sparking device for internal combustion engines, the combinationof a suitable housing member; an oscillatory contact member mounted onsaid member; a coil-spring having one of its ends secured to saidhousing member and its other end secured to said oscillatory member; asecond *contact member; said spring adapted to impart to said'oscillatory member a normal position in which it is out of contact withsaid second contact member, and whereby it may be moved toward and fr'omthe latter in opposition to such spring; and a member adapted tointermittently engage said oscillatory member to move same away fromsaid second-named contact member, whereby such oscillator)7 member isintermittently released and impelled towardsaid secondnamed contactmember by the action of said spring; said OsLll'atoI 'y member beingfree' osella tor'7 contect member during nhV1 of electrical' cpnnection8Ltall times while; movement z 10 I oul'J of contact With saidsecondmmed `Vcon- Signed by me, this 9th day of December,

ta-et member; said engaging means being 1909.

5 adapted mflecfi the positive movement of CHARLE c. WILIAMS/ x 'saidoscillatory contact member away from Att'ested by'- f said statonary-contact memberrthe' lat'cer` CUIT' B. MUELLER,

being alwys gut of engagement with said WINIFRED WALTZ.

